HabiTalk

Want to spice up your S.I.P. life? I’ve been tackling projects I would skip if life were normal. The latest? Cleaning out my spice drawer. The cardamon seeds had been there since the last time I made Swedish Glogg for the holidays…about 20 years ago. When I popped open the crystalized ginger I was just as petrified as IT was! The clean out took less than fifteen minutes. The practical, culinary and aesthetic rewards were worth it. Here’s the game plan:

Learn how long dried spices and herbs last.

When it comes to “use by” dates, all spices and herbs aren’t created equal. Many brands don’t even include a “Use by” or “Best by” date on the label. Here’s some good advice and a simple guide from McCormick & Company. You can copy and print the “Shelf Life of Spices” chart to keep near your spices.

Take inventory.

• Take the jars out and line them up alphabetically.
• Set aside the ones you use but suspect are past their prime.
• Toss the the ones you’ll rarely if ever use.
• Make a shopping list for ones to replace. SpiceBarn is a great resource.

Use a permanent marker to note the “Date Opened” and put your spices and herbs back where they belong.

If you store your spices horizontally note “Date Opened” on the front label. If you store them vertically use a round sticky label or piece of tape on the lid to note contents and “Date Opened.” From now on when you use a spice you’ll know if it’s still good.

Find more links you can really use at HabiLinks Curated Guide.

The internet is full of great resources, but page after page of search results can be too much of a good thing. We search for useful information in eighteen lifestyle categories, so you don’t have to. Only then, when we find the link with the most useful content, does it become a HabiLink, one of the chosen few. And unlike other web guides, we don’t accept payment for listings. We simply think they’re the best at what they do. You’ll find lots more useful information in the Food & Beverages   category at HabiLinks. When you want to spice up your S.I.P. life, you can depend on HabiLinks for links you can really use.